"Thank you Amity Park" Ember shouted not bothering with the microphone, not that it would have made any difference over the noise the crowd was making. It made Ember shudder to think how bad it would be if it were an indoor stadium. Enthusiasm was one thing, but continuous screaming that was louder then a cannon blast in an enclosed space? Even Ember had to pass on that. "Till next time" she finished and, with a flourish, disappeared in a swirl of flame.

888

"Come on Jim hurry up" Danny grumbled as he tapped his foot impatiently and leaned on the counter of the store he was in.

"Patience hero" came a reply from the back room, "I would think you of all people could appreciate that virtue".

"Okay Jim" drawled Danny, "next time a ghost want's to smash up the place I'll sit back and think about it just for you".

"Aw don't be that way" said Jim as he came out of the back room carrying a wrapped box, "sides it's finished".

"Did you wrap it the way I asked?"

"Down to the last ribbon" said Jim handing it over.

Danny turned the box over in his hands a few times before nodding and tucking it under his arm. "Thanks Jim" he said, "I should get going, catch you later".

"Good luck" Jim called as Danny left.

888

Ember sighed as she flopped down into her dressing room chair. It had taken some convincing but after a while Danny had let her start performing again. On the condition that she not hypnotize anybody of course. Not that it was necessary once word got out about their relationship.

Ember couldn't help but grin at the thought. Despite the fact that things had calmed down over the years the lingering publicity drove Danny up the wall. Not so much because he hated it, quite the opposite actually, it was just that after the world found out his secret he lost the ability to blend in.

"Good job no hit wonder"

The ghost woman twisted her head upside down over her chair back to find none other then Sam Manson standing there. "Hey" she muttered, "what're you doing here".

"Danny asked me to remind you not to forget to meet him later, remember?" Sam said before giving Ember's chair a kick.

Ember made a loud squacking noise before shooting straight up to hover near the ceiling. "That's not funny" she growled.

Sam just let out a snort. "Really?" she said, "I thought it was hilarious".

"Riiiiiiiight" Ember droned, "I can't see why you don't just quit with the hostilities".

Sam just shrugged. "Probably because it's fun to antagonize you".

"And here I thought you'd forgiven me" Ember pouted.

"Oh I have" Sam practically chirped, "but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop teasing you".

Ember shrugged, she was more the used to trading jabs with the other woman. "Don't worry your gloomy little head" Ember said as she came down from her spot near the ceiling, "I wouldn't forget about Danny".

"Good" Sam said, "Because if you did I'd break your bones".

"Sorry princess" Ember drawled, a grin appearing on her face "I don't have any".

Sam returned the grin. "We'll see about that" she said.

888

Ember found Danny sitting in a tree overlooking the town. "Your late" he said, not even bothering to open his eyes as Ember landed next to him.

"So?" Ember huffed, "I had some things to deal with".

Danny cracked one eye open, a dopy smile appearing on his face as he did. "You didn't burn down the stage again did you?" he teased.

"One time!" whined Ember, throwing up her arms in exasperation, "I did that one time, by accident".

Danny just waved his hand dismissively. "I know I know" he muttered, "It was that hippie's fault anyway. He was really obnoxious".

"Yah" Ember muttered finally noticing the backpack Danny was wearing. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

Danny put of a fake hurt looking expression. "What, I need an excuse to spend time with you now?" he pouted.

Ember pretended to think before responding. "I suppose not" she admitted, "But there has to be a reason were out here instead of somewhere in town".

Danny regarded Ember for a moment before nodding. "Do you remember the day at the construction site?" he asked.

Ember raised an eyebrow. "Like it was yesterday" she admitted, "a day like that isn't something you ever forget".

"No kidding" Danny muttered rolling his eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ember whined while giving Danny a playful shot in the arm.

"Nothing" Danny said as he un-slung his pack, "I've just been thinking is all. It's been what, seven years since then now?"

"To the day" Ember said eyeing the bag suspiciously, "you're up to something aren't you?"

"Who me?" Danny said, feigning innocence, "never". Pausing to root through the bag he produced a gift wrapped box. "I just figured that since seven was a lucky number and all it was a good time to give you this".

Ember couldn't hide her excitement as she took the box. Sure Danny had given her presents before but he'd never been this secretive about it. Absently she tried to just phase her hand through to unwrap it but was surprised when it didn't work. Danny just chuckled at the look on Ember's face. "No cheating now" he said, "I had it wrapped in my dad's phase proof wallpaper".

"Phase proof wallpaper?"

"Trust me" Danny said, "You don't want to know. Suffice it to say he redid the master bedroom with it about four years ago".

Deciding it was best not to pry ember tore off the paper and opened the box to find…another gift wrapped box. "What the hell?"

Danny looked on the verge of a giggling fit. "Well go on" he said.

Shaking her head Ember unwrapped the second box to find a third, then a fourth, fifth, and sixth. By now the box Ember was holding easily fit into the palm of her hand and, if ghosts had hearts, hers would have been on the verge of jumping out of her chest.

Prying the wrapping paper off Ember now held a small hinged box. Slowly, almost afraid it might just be a cruel joke on Danny's part, she opened it. Inside she found a gold ring adorned with dozens of tiny sapphires arranged in the shape of a flame.

888

WHOOOO MORE POINTLESS DANNY X EMBER FLUFF! Blargh. What can I say? The pairing is crack incarnate but I can't get enough of it. Anyway next up for an update is deliverance followed by a planned simultaneous release of the next chapter of angel of the night and white noise. After that I think I'll finally get off my ass and update darkness within. Ciao.